Journalists Trapped in Libya Hotel

Some three dozen foreign journalists covering the battle in Tripoli are currently trapped inside the Rixos hotel, due to heavy fighting on surrounding streets and Gaddafi snipers positioned outside the hotel. The Rixos is not far from Gaddafi’s compound, which is likely to be the center of fighting and standing ground for his remaining loyalists in the next several days. Inside the hotel, journalists reported hearing gunfire and explosions coming from the direction of the compound. “I wouldn’t say we’re hostages,” said a Reuters correspondent, “but nobody’s going out.” Media corporations have been discussing how to address the situation, as many journalists covering the six-month uprising in Libya have been quite literally kept under house arrest by Gaddafi loyalists.